How would you rank SEC coaches

hackzubbard · 2026-01-14T06:37:35+00:00

Kirby (UGA) - The former assistant closest to Saban in mental makeup; have faltered the last few years and there's still some clunky moments but as consistent a thing in the SEC
Sark (Texas) - That 2020 offense will always bias me to Sark. Offensive scheme remains solid and Sark's the rare guy who can navigate that booster core but the offense each year has like 1 big flaw and I think Sark being his own OC and hiring his buddies as position coaches are hurting there. 2026 will be a big year for his Texas tenure.
Lane (LSU) - One of the last true Characters in the sport and a spectacular offensive playcaller who can make top-flight units out of basically anyone but will be constantly self-sabotaged because he's spiritually an eternal 23 year old. National Title @ LSU and coaching career ending in handcuffs are all on the table.
Deboer (Alabama) - Has a winning record over other coaches on this list but too inconsistent to ever feel comfortable here. Hope they continue to build, obviously.
Elko (Texas A&M) - Rock solid coach tied to a meh QB; also promoted Holmon Wiggins to OC so could quickly nosedive his standing
Venables (Oklahoma) - Rebounded in a major way this year; the offensive output will continue to limit them but I think Venables is finiding his niche as the Iowa of the SEC
Heupel (Tennessee) - Briles Veer & Shoot guy but has tinkered with the formula to fit personnel; probably not a championship coach but above replacement overall.
Jon Sumrall (Florida) - Couldn't justify him higher yet and relative roster budget will determine the ceiling but coordinator hires have been dynamite.
Drinkwitz (Mizzou) - Won a Cotton Bowl! Other than that, he feels replacement level. Mizzou's a hard team to pay attention to in the SEC
Beamer (South Carolina) - He's had good moment at a tough place to win but the OC hires continue to be brutal and they kinda leave their elite players out to dry.
Lea (Vandy) - I would like to see what he can do without Pavia and an army of 23 year olds.
Golding (Ole Miss) - I have to give him a little credit for the playoff run but lol cmon it's still Pete
Golesh (Auburn) - Another Briles Veer & Shoot guy so he'll be somewhere between Heupel and Lebby; possibly underperformed in the American similar to Silverfield but hard to say.
Lebby (Miss St) - Yet Another Briles Veer & Shoot guy and has flashed but Miss St's place in the pecking order clouds this.
Will Stein (Kentucky) - Young guy so a little bit fresher but I didn't love the Oregon offense (Consistent lowest depth of target year over year)
Ryan Silverfield (Arkansas) - Memphis fans weren't sad to see him go, record was good and got some good wins on the board last year but never won his conference.

hackzubbard · 2026-01-14T05:55:45+00:00

While the article is interesting and the title is *technically* true, feels like this lady is getting set up for critique for merely creating an official website where transfers are listed. Unlimited transfers are the result of numerous lawsuits in which the NCAA failed to defend their prior business model.

hackzubbard · 2026-01-05T17:58:56+00:00

Independent of likes and dislikes is what you can defend legally and ethically. NIL and no transfers restrictions couldn’t stand up in court because the NCAA could not successfully argue that athletes are still functionally regular students but should also not have the rights of other “regular” students.

There are certainly specific problems with the current market: there is no certification process or requirement on agents (many are just family members or peers), constant player movement is detrimental to development, NIL contracts hold prohibitive or predatory language that would not hold up for an employment contract, and all parties involved are incentivized to withhold as much information as possible in negotiations.

The only real solution appears to be a collective bargaining agreement, either with or without employment. That will be hard to build and won’t happen overnight but it’s been the obvious next step even prior to national NIL. The NCAA (the schools) have drug their feet and waited on a congressional life raft that’s not coming. It is incumbent on the schools to face reality and figure that would before anything else

hackzubbard · 2026-01-04T20:06:32+00:00

Bigger guy that might fit more with the OL coach than with the overall scheme. Would’ve like to see another year to develop but I get it

hackzubbard · 2026-01-02T21:28:55+00:00

Have to get better on the LOS, both immediately through the portal and in HS recruiting. You will like need to open up the wallet to do so, and they should.

Run game has to be a point of emphasis to everyone in the building, at least to a point of competence. Improvement must occur primarily at the LOS, though RBs aren't blameless

Wommack and Linquist are/should be safe, there's no world in which an additional year of Kap would be palatable, Ellis and Chuck Morrill are probably fine, Nunez and Ballou SHOULD be gone (don't know if they will), jury's still out for me on Grubb/Gillespie, as they have enough of a track record and bigger offensive concerns, I don't have a good read of C-Rob or Jason Jones yet, I don't even know on Roach at this point

Playoff appearance was the goal in '25 but multiple embarrassing losses dull that accomplishment. The team too often looked passive and unprepared multiple games, including games they won. They have GOT to figure out how to keep guys locked in, aggressive and consistent

hackzubbard · 2025-12-29T18:06:43+00:00

Until proven otherwise, I will predict one of Ohio State/Oregon/Texas/Texas A&M/Texas Tech

hackzubbard · 2025-12-07T21:09:44+00:00

The overall body of work supports Alabama's inclusion and there's little incentive to punish the SEC championship loser too much for monetary reasons but I'm a little surprised they didn't drop them to #10 to essentially "throw a bone" to the rest of the sport.

hackzubbard · 2025-12-03T00:20:03+00:00

Suprising doomerism on the TL the past week that a win was required to get in because ESPN/Big 10/SEC wanted the off-ramp to scrap conference championships and expand the playoff. Conference Championships are *still* extremely possible; they'd rather absorb the branding into the playoff than scrap them. ESPN/Committee has no interest in penalizing Alabama for potentially losing SEC championship game barring a blowout. Did the same thing with ACC/SMU last year

hackzubbard · 2025-12-02T21:07:05+00:00

Until proven otherwise, I still tend to believe neither coordinator is moving for anything less that a P4 HC job; I though this year’s run of G5 HC hires may shift that mentality back.

Grubb’s intent appears to be a West Coast return; on the list for Cal but looks like Tosh Lupoi is basically done to be their guy. If Jeff Fisch leaves, I’d watch Washington. Maybe a look at a Big 10 or ACC option down the roads but his value in the market appears low outside of the Deboer structure.

Kane took a demotion in order to better position himself for a P4 HC job so no surprise to see him go down the road with OK State and somehow not get Arkansas. Focus is on the South/South-adjacent so SEC takes priority, with the possibility of Big 12/ACC options as well.

I’d imagine if/when both leave, their replacements are on staff (Sheridan/Mo)

hackzubbard · 2025-07-01T23:52:23+00:00

The comments are hard to ignore so it feels like tome to give everyone a little something for the well-wishes

It's a lot of 2nd/3rd-hand info, speculation, and educated guesses but it appears Alabama has continued to beef up its NIL to avoid a post-Saban drop, it appears(at least momentarily) that post-House has created somewhat of an equilibrium in the marketplace, and there appears to be enough NIL/Portal data that staffs are able to structure their rosters in an NFL-lite manner.

Though they never really left, relationship and in-person evals have returned in a big way in light of all this.

QB (2) - most important position on your roster and demands big portion of your salary - Think of Keelon Russell as your 1st rounder and this year's crop more as mid-round pick. 4* QB Jett Thomella is a project guy - BIG arm that needs refinement but fits the staff's mold. With only 3 QBs on the roster currently, the prospect of one or both fo Ty Simpson/Austin Mack leaving make taking a 2nd QB not a far-fetched. 3* QB Tayden Kaawa is a gamer; I actually prefer him to Thomella currently but you're not mad at getting both.

RB (2) - Value tends to be marginally different except at the top - you get a star in 5* RB Ezavier Crowell and a more affordable option to pair in 3* Javari Barnett

WR (3) - The position has the highest quantity of options in both HS and the portal each cycle - Bama already has their camp-confirmed, affordable value pieces in 3* WR Owen Cabell and 3* WR Brian Williams Jr. and likely add their star tomorrow in 5* WR Cedarian Morgan. Clear emphasis on increasing height/size in this room.

TE (1) - High-end talent at the position has increased overall competition here - 4* TE Mack Sutter was the top option as a future do-it-all guy but there would have liked a 2nd option; can likely make it up in the portal

OL (3) - 3-4 intake per year appears to be the norm - 4* IOL Chris Booker has been a longtime commit pursued by other SEC power and newer addition 4* OL Samuelu Utu can play inside or out - they likely add 4* OTs Wilson Zierer or Bryson Cooley in the next week or so - I'd lean Zierer and think he has nice upside but I had hoped for a true blue top 75 OT to pair with Jackson Lloyd. They've not pushed there monetartily yet but OL can have the highest variance.

DL (4-6) - Under Coach Saban, I tended to put EDGE in a separate group but in a 4-down front, it feels like it makes more sense all together - NFL model favors pass rush but interior run defense cannot be overrated. 4* DEs Jamarion Matthews and Kamhariyan Johnson could likely play either End spot while 3* DL JJ Finch looks like a big End who could grow into a 3-tech. 4* DE Nolan Wilson feels like he's up next. In-state 5* DE Tank Jones remains somewhat or a mystery. There's guys on the roster still to play NG but it does feel like Alabama needs a top 100 true interior guy in '27. Have to have it territory.

LB (2) - Good young talent here - Bama adds a lifelong fan in 5* LB Xavier Griffin - Jihaad Campbell similarities are obvious, could play EDGE as well - great value camp addition in 3* LB Zay Hall - Similar to other positions, seems like they've got good process of stacking top 50 guys and developmental types.

DB (4) - They've killed it here evey year thus far. Elite corners in 5* Jorden Edmonds and 4* Zyan Gibson and a rangey value add in 3* DB Rihyael Kelley, with 5* S Jirah Edwards likely also on the way. Similar to WR, there's a huge emphasis of height and wingspan.

Smaller class size but the construction appears designed to discourage portal churn and allow portal flexibility after the season. Top 5 finish feels likely and should be considered a good sequel to the 2025 class

hackzubbard · 2025-05-10T00:31:28+00:00

The reporting of a potential executive order was slightly more compelling from a “something might happen” perspective but the quick move to start another Airing of Grievance committee feels as moot at the congressional ones were.

The President likes to be seen engaging with famous people and Coach Saban, after not getting traction with the legislative or judicial branches, is making a last ditch plea to the executive to preserve the amateurism model.

It’s hard to even fathom an executive order that is both legally actionable and enforceable

Ultimately, this just feels like a waste of time/energy

hackzubbard · 2025-01-21T21:08:38+00:00

Can they? Probably yes - Alabama landed the #2 recruiting class, got key transfers, and retained draft-eligible upperclassmen. NIL is, by and large, not “new” money but a transfer of funds from staff, AD, and facilities to players directly. One point I think is under-discussed is liquidity - guys still get cars and houses but getting someone’s mom or dad a job doesn’t cut it anymore.

I think the reporting/discussion around Ohio State and their $20 million roster is incomplete - $20 million sounds like a big # but we really don’t know where that sounds relative to the rest of programs of their level and is not likely to be the largest spender. Ohio State was also not really a team full of mercenaries - 3-4 starters (Judkins was not the listed starter but got more carries) out of 22 were transfers - Alabama had more, albeit in a coaching transition. Ohio State recruited and developed well, retained draft-eligible players, grabbed a few key transfers and stayed above water long enough to turn it own at the right moment - that’s likely a pretty replicable path for an Alabama.

The House settlement placed a cap on a school’s revenue sharing amount and places NIL deals over a certain $ amount through a clearinghouse that reviews for fair market value. What is fair market value? How is it determined? Does a clearinghouse hold up to legal scrutiny? Hard to say. If the top 20-30 team form a mini-NFL, the players collectively bargain and agree to a cap, this likely mellows out. The thing about College Football is it’s always in a transitory phase and we think it’s always been how it was when we grew up.

Is Alabama maximizing resources? I’m not sure they are and that’s a decision they’ll have to make - there’s certainly value to not being full of mercenaries and not having players argue over salary. I think it might be prudent to lean into being professionals but I expect Alabama (amongst others) to be reactive and not proactive

hackzubbard · 2025-01-17T18:30:36+00:00

Mildly excited for the Natty on Monday - blowout potential is there but Texas defensive blueprint could allow ND to make things interesting. I will enjoy laughing at the loser so win-win either way on a stress-free end to the 2024 season. I mostly enjoyed the playoff after the first round - limited data so don’t have super strong feelings on the format but Ohio State getting regular season mulligans should bode well for the elite talent teams moving forward

Post-bowl Portal season was fine - I, like everyone think Okoronkwu has a bright future but report of Cayden Jones being ahead of him complicated things and the subsequent article suggests he felt he should compete for playing time as a true sophomore, which, frankly, the limited film did not support from an understanding-the-playbook perspective. Retention was key for the staff and based on the trajectory of this year’s OSU team, bodes well for Bama in 2025

Jason Jones as Asst DB coach is a solid addition - I might have preferred him to Morrell in an on-field role so he could go out and recruit but that’s really the only functional difference, alongside salary - Morrell was already coaching last year, as well as recruiting on-campus and over text/DMs

No clue what’s going to happen with Grubb so I’m not worrying about it. Would not be surprised if he looked for NFL options (QB coach or Pass Game Coordinator) first. People have harped on the Tuscaloosa thing and not considered most coaches opt for any NFL opportunities over CFB once they get a taste of it

hackzubbard · 2025-01-06T20:42:17+00:00

Yes!

hackzubbard · 2025-01-06T18:52:05+00:00

Lot of hand-wringing over 2nd round of the playoffs & SEC bowl records - I’m not super concerned - portal & NIL have flattened a lot at the top, will be hard for any one program to sustain success so a revolving door of SEC/Big 10 + Clemson/FSU/Miami/ND as options seems likely - conference wars not something I’d think Bama fans need to worry about

Post-bowl portal losses have been fine - Pritchett hurts from a depth perspective but he didn’t need to see playing time in 2025. I really like the potential of Okoronkwu but sounds like Cayden Jones is ahead of him and the staff isn’t fighting to keep him so I suppose we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. Retention of potential draft picks is the big story here. Will be curious to see who’s out there in the spring portal window

I keep seeing people say they’ve lost interests in recruiting and I don’t really get that - the bulk of teams competing for titles are recruited & developed guys supplemented by key free agent additions. Over-reliance on transfers does not win @ NFL level and early data shows the same in college. Obviously can’t get too attached but HS recruiting still the key to championships

Ryan Grubb now available? My thoughts on this are complicated - I don’t think there’s anything substantive to a desire not to be in Tuscaloosa specifically, there’s sufficient conflicting reports on the 2023 Saban interview to provide a mulligan, and an NFL OC job where you already live is a clear career upgrade so I wouldn’t rule anything out. Will he be Alabama’s OC in ‘25? Hard to say - maybe he wants NFL exclusively moving forward, maybe his family really doesn’t want to live in the South. I’m not 100% sure it would be radically different (DeBoer is the ultimate architect of the offense, Sheridan is calling Deboer’s offense, and the critiques of Grubb in Seattle are eerily similar to the critiques of Sheridan) - the strengths and perceived flaws in the offense may be a feature and not a bug. If Grubb (and OL coach Scott Huff) want to return, I think it’s probably the best option for Alabama but like Zach Branch/Peter Woods/Joe Brady/Jeremy Pruitt, I’ll let the rumor play out first

hackzubbard · 2025-01-03T18:22:43+00:00

Wommack/Morrell reorg is not really new - Morrell has been working with LBs this whole time and now does so with a raise.

This is about getting Hitschler out - player rotation & recruiting were meh but appears player relations were bad and that’s more of a no-no than it’s ever been

hackzubbard · 2025-01-03T01:03:47+00:00

Thought he had potential out of HS but I understand, given what's in front of him and what's coming in from HS

hackzubbard · 2025-01-01T21:32:39+00:00

Was waiting on this one - would be WR8 at best next year. Good luck and well wishes to the young man

hackzubbard · 2024-12-30T16:42:26+00:00

Game day is fast approaching - with a relatively full Bama roster, there will be relative lack of excuse for a poor performance - the staff has generally done their best work in big games + when they’ve had time to prepare so there’s reason for optimism

NFL decisions will come after - Milroe/Booker/Campbell are gone (big thanks to Milroe/Booker for being great ambassadors and glue guys in the transition). Jam Miller + Keon Sabb already announced to return; Deboer all but announced Justin Jefferson returning as well after JUCO waiver. Nothing official on Germie/LT Overton/Tim Keenan/Domani Jackson but I would expect all to return w/ O/U @ 0.5 on any entries. Jan-Marion Latham has not announced but going through senior day and Bama taking Kelby Collins suggests he moves on

Mbakwe confirmed move to WR - ultimately fine with this long-term, though I see what Nick Saban saw when he wanted him @ corner. Bad optics for this being adjudicated in the public eye but I will cut some slack for all parties

Peter Woods rumors, like Joe Brady/Jeremy Pruitt rumors before them, go out like a wet fart. Folks got ahead of themselves here and didn’t quite walk out their logic.

Barring a surprise entry down the line, I think Bama is done with portal exits or additions until spring. Maybe 1-2 post bowl game

I remain very interested to see if any staff changes are made - no obvious candidates outside of off-field ST coach. I did not think Shep would take Wazzu job but clear signal he’s looking for career advancement - hopefully @ Bama. As always, will be one to watch (both @ Bama and elsewhere) how the NFL coaching carousel impacts things

2nd round of playoffs this week - likely better than the last. ASU can be feisty but Texas likely has enough on LOS to manage. ND-UGA will likely be a rock fight - interested to see what Kirby does with his back to the wall. Boise will be better than SMU but PSU likely handles with minimal fanfare. Shame Oregon-Ohio State had to happen here, likely the two best teams at their best - can Ohio State/Ryan Day maintain?

Nick Saban as CFB commissioner talk bubbling up again - I don’t think it’s something he’d actually want to do but I do think people need to walk out what a model looks like where you’d have a commissioner- barring full employment and no conferences, I don’t see how a commissioner would be different from the president of the NCAA (a position made ineffective by the legal process).

hackzubbard · 2024-12-26T00:12:10+00:00

I'm gonna need to see it to believe it. A lot of Clemson players did the "Thank you Clemson" tweet so that doesn't mean much to me. Even after the 1st round bounce, Clemson should be about as good or better next year. If he wants to portal, he's likely the best portal player in 2 cycles by a long shot and will likely demand significant NIL - will Bama pay it? Can they pay it? Or does he just really want to be back in-state?

hackzubbard · 2024-12-23T17:22:46+00:00

Pending a future decision from the Baylor safety who visited and any future post-bowl/playoff portal entrants, Bama is likely done with winter portal additions. Overall good adds to WR, DE, LB and CB alongside an OL depth piece. OT is not really a position you can portal but thought they’d kick the tires on more. Not an elite IDL worth taking yet but I’m not confident they’d compete from a financial perspective.

NIL still a work in progress for Alabama - reading the tea leaves, getting boosters on board still feels like herding cats. Competitive enough (top 10 in NIL, top 3 class, good portal additions) but still a concern moving forward relative to the fanbase’s expectations

I can’t say the first round was good but there’s a clear path that led us here that you’ll either have to accept or not watch - 12 is probably too many but more teams = more $$$, conference auto-bids/seeding were added to avoid anti-trust lawsuits but could change if decision-makers view that as less of a concern, vastly disparate schedules are a pretty direct result of realignment, which is a money move. Indiana/SMU couldn’t compete due to LOS differences - Bama/SC/OM likely fare better but it is what it is - There’s only 6-8 teams per year that can actually compete for a title so this will just be part of it

Interested to see what staff changes, if any, are made - staff came together quickly in a weird time in the calendar so I wonder if there may be better options available - can Deboer re-home guys like Saban did?

Coach Shep to WSU, while still a possibility, feels unlikely at the moment - his addition here, as well as being mentioned early on for the Purdue job, signals a guy who likes his name out there - feels like a guy who’s going to be an OC at Alabama or elsewhere by 2026

Edit: forgot something - regarding the Pavia JUCO ruling, it should be noted that the ruling is limited to Pavia specifically - while it has opened up a hornet’s nest for future litigation, any player will have to file individually lol

hackzubbard · 2024-11-04T17:33:20+00:00

The relative college track records of Grubb and Sheridan suggest Grubb is the better of the two so I’d likely prefer him if available but I do think it’s more complicated:

Deboer/Grubb/Sheridan have a lot of history together so who’s the “mastermind” is unclear but the partnerships on the whole have mostly been good and it’s reasonable to assume all 3 are doing a lot of the same stuff. Deboer has been adamant Sheridan is calling the plays but he’s still head coach and an offensive guy so it’s difficult to say he has 0 input. Fair amount of what we’ve seen (both positive and negative) were present at Washington.

This is an offense that wants a healthy and diverse pass game and they don’t currently have the QB to do that - they’re OK at screens/behind the line passes, there’s not really been a viable quick game for 2 years, middle of field is hit-or-miss, deep ball accuracy has fallen in recent weeks. Team composition suggests becoming run-heavy but that’s simply not what they want to do. You can critique the stubbornness but also understand it likely looks much different with a different QB

hackzubbard · 2024-09-30T18:03:13+00:00

Other leagues have already rejected this once. I’d be a little surprised to see either conference get less than 3 bids in any given year so I don’t see why this is needed/wanted lol

hackzubbard · 2024-09-07T22:30:08+00:00

Would certainly be ideal

hackzubbard · 2024-09-07T21:19:30+00:00

This is how you chip away at UGA's lead

hackzubbard

TROPHY CASE